Books
Assimilating to American Culture as a Young Immigrant
The Tsarnaev brothers came to the US as young immigrants with their parents, and both were educated here. But what we now know about the two Boston bombing suspects raises questions about the different ways young immigrants assimilate to life in America.
1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century
Margaret Thatcher was laid to rest in London today with the pomp and circumstance that the Brits do so well. A new book argues that the year she came to power, 1979, is one of the decisive turning points in history, when markets and religion burst back upon the world stage.
Author Kong Dan Oh’s ‘North Korea Through the Looking Glass’
Korean specialist Kong Dan Oh gives her insight into North Korea. Oh was born to North Korean parents and has spent her life studying the misfit nation.
Coffee Life in Japan
Japan’s coffee culture includes some meticulous rituals and some quirky theme cafes. Anchor Marco Werman meets Merry White, author of “Coffee Life in Japan” to drink Japanese style coffee and learn about the history behind Japan’s obsession with the cup of joe.
Sex in the Arab World
Since the Arab Spring, many young Arabs are beginning to re-think politics, religion and sex. Marco Werman speaks with author and broadcaster Shereen el Feki who spent five years researching sex in the Middle East region and wrote about what she learned in her book: “Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World.”
Andrea Pitzer’s New Biography ‘The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov’
Anchor, Marco Werman interviews author Andrea Pitzer about her new biography, “The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov.”
Iron lady or Camp Icon? Growing up Gay in Thatcher’s Britain
Damian Barr, who grew up gay during Thatcher’s conservative government, tells how he coped with being different in a working class neighborhood during the Thatcher years.
Donna De Cesare’s ‘Unsettled: Children in a World of Gangs’
Photojournalist Donna DeCesare’s new bilingual book chronicles the lives of Central American gang members on both sides of the border. It’s called “Unsettled.” DeCesare teaches journalism at the University of Texas, Austin.
When East Meets West on the Page: Author Gish Jen Discusses ‘Tiger Writing’
When Chinese American writer Gish Jen read her father’s autobiography it sparked her explore a tension in her own life that she’s long written about in her fiction. She calls it her “struggle between Emerson and Confucius.”
Chinua Achebe: Remembering a Giant of World Literature
Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe passed away on Thursday at age 82. His first novel, “Things Fall Apart” was published in 1958 and went on to become one of Africa’s most read novels around the world. The book has been translated into more than 45 languages. Achebe’s been called the “father of modern African literature” but Nigerian playwright Biyi Bandele calls him a “giant in world literature.” Anchor, Marco Werman speaks with Bandele about Achebe’s legacy.
‘The Terror Courts’ Offers Scathing Account of Military Commissions
Jess Bravin is the Supreme Court correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, and since 2001 he has followed the military commissions story closely. His new book, “The Terror Courts,” is a riveting and at times scathing account of the formation of the commissions and how they have been troubled from the beginning over questions about detainee abuse and the legitimacy of commissions themselves.
Author Rory Carroll Reflects on Hugo Chavez’s Political Rule in ‘Comandante’
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died after a two-year battle with cancer. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Rory Carroll, former Latin American bureau chief for Britain’s Guardian newspaper, about the man who dominated Venezuela for the past 14 years.
Calls to Censor ‘Of Mice and Men’ in Turkey
Turkey is no stranger to TV and internet censorship. But recently, a controversy erupted over a call to censor a book on Turkey’s recommended reading list for students. The book was John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
Azerbaijan: Bounty Money Offered for Author Akram Aylisli’s Ear
The State Department this week called on the government of Azerbaijan to protect author Akram Aylisli. The respected elderly author became the subject of protests and threats of violence, because of his latest book.
La Fiction Pulpe de Gérard de Villiers
I was introduced to Gérard de Villiers’ SAS series when I lived in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. No. 76 in the series is “Putsch à Ouagadougou,” and as Worth explains in his story, the book contains undeniable verisimilitude.
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